Stepping Out

Growing up, I had different sides to me. You can go as far as saying that I had different personalities based on where I was and who I was around.  I became an expert at perfecting different masks.  At home, I was obedient good girl who did whatever her parents told her to avoid trouble and the annoying sister who created problems but never got blamed for them.  At school, I was the good girl who did all her work and was very smart, but also the girl who caused behind the scene chaos: a bully to some, a tough girl to others, and nice to a select few.  At church, I was the precious girl who memorized all the verses, sang all the songs, and always had a smile on her face.

It was easy to compartmentalize my life in those ways, and I have no doubt that it's easy for even adults today to do the same thing. We yell at our kids harshly when no one is around, but then gently when someone else is.  We put a smile on at church and act like the perfect family, when just 5 minutes ago in the car there were yelling and anger evident everywhere.  But we also do the same thing with our spiritual lives.  Our spiritual lives are limited to only the times we are at church, or when we have our quiet time throughout the week, or the fasting that we do, or our prayer lives.

I have a feeling this is not what Jesus intended.  Our spiritual lives are not a separate part of our everyday lives.  Our spiritual life indwells our everyday lives because whatever we do, it is for the Lord.  When we are driving, we should be doing it in a way that pleases the Lord.  When we are talking to our parents, siblings, or children, we should be doing it in a way that glorifies God. When we are eating, talking, cooking, cleaning, etc. You name it.  But we don't tend to ask each other about those moments. 

Christianity is about faith in Jesus Christ, but also about obedience to His commandments.  We can read our Bibles all we want, we can pray all we want, but if those things don't affect the way we live our lives, then what is the point?  If I go to church, sing worship, read my Bible, yet go out and complain about this, talk bad about that person, disrespect my parents, belittle my children, or work lazily, then am I really being a great example of a follower of Christ?  We must be different than the world, not in what we wear, watch, or listen to, but in how we live. That's what I've convinced and convicted of.  I don't want to separate spiritual from my everyday life. I want to view my everyday life, every moment of it, as a opportunity to shine the Light of Christ.